5,000 civil servants for Home Office to start working in new Croydon office block

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Construction on a new government office block in Croydon is now complete and more than 5,000 civil servants are expected to move into the building in Summer 2024.

The 10-storey building is part of the Ruskin Square development next to East Croydon Station.

While “practical completion” has been achieved, it will be another year before government workers move into the building.

The plan is for Home Office employees to move from three separate offices, including Lunar House, in Croydon to Ruskin Square.

The Government Property Agency (GPA) signed a 25 year lease for the office building from the Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), which bought 2 Ruskin Square for £267.6million in March.

The GPA will spend the next year fitting out the building to government standards.

Home Office permanent secretary, Matthew Rycroft, said: “The site will play a major role in our work to keep the country safe, secure and prosperous.

“It will provide a modern space that is sustainable and which offers a collaborative and enjoyable working environment. I would like to thank all those who are working hard to make this innovative building a reality. I very much look forward to its completion next year.”

The new government hub will be Croydon’s second. It will join One Ruskin Square which is home to HMRC and opened in 2017.

Once complete, the building is set to include meeting rooms and “refreshment hubs”. The GPA said it will offer “an effective mix of flexible and hybrid work spaces to support neuro-diversity”.

Pictured top: The new Home Office building in Croydon (Picture: Google Street View)